Award jinx hits Royle

Beforehand, Joe Royle, the Ipswich manager, was moved to deny the rumours that he had been wearing his wife's underwear for good luck.

Three minutes into stoppage-time, Royle - who had been mocked up in the local paper wearing a red bra and pants - watched as defender Fabian Wilnis got his own knickers in a twist and, from the corner flag, decided to turn back inside towards his own goalmouth.

Wilnis, who said later he thought the ball had gone out of play, was tackled before he got there and Mark Saunders, the Gillingham substitute, swept in a pull-back from Nicky Southall. It was all so unnecessary, especially after Ipswich had dragged themselves back from 1-3.

"Figure that one out," Royle said before anyone asked him any questions.

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OK, were Ipswich jinxed by Royle - who was on a six-game unbeaten run - winning manager of the month? "That's a myth," he said. "I can honestly say that I had no part in the goals."

Ipswich, who have often taken a while to get going lately, were still half-asleep when Rod Wallace headed Gillingham ahead in the 14th minute. They replied through 19-year-old Ian Westlake, who was scoring his first senior goal, but an opponent twice his age, Gillingham's player-manager Andy Hessenthaler, pulled the visitors clear again, his through-ball setting up Mamady Sidibe.

Paul Shaw smacked one in for 3-1, but this game was dangerously open. Pablo Counago and substitute Tommy Miller had the Ipswich goals. Then, though, came that bizarre denouement.